We can all sleep at night knowing who drank what, and that Joe Biden is a Buckler man. I'm sure there is an article out there closely examining each person and their choice of beverage during this meeting. Nothing like a beer and peanuts to ease racial tensions.

That's right, it's that time again...the NJ State Fair has arrived. I don't know why I have such a thing for this fair. Perhaps it's the massive size of the fair, or the tents filled with animals from exotic roosters to bulls to every type of rabbit. Maybe its the food or the diving dogs, the smells, the sounds, the photo ops, the lemonade, the colors and light..it's all of these things. I will not, however, be paying to see the world's smallest woman. That ruined me. Stay tuned for fair photos!

Okay, so have you heard about Clucky? He went to City Hall because apparently farm animals are not allowed to live on Miami Beach and Clucky's owner has been told that he must leave the apartment. Please tell me that Miami Beach law enforcement has nothing better to do than seek out farm animals living in peoples houses. And please, just once, can we see a rooster being handcuffed and forced into the back of a cop car?

Some kids dislike going to church. But how many kids decide to take their dad's car for a spin instead of going to church? This kid did.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

I completely forgot to celebrate post 800 two days ago, so break out the noisemakers, today is post #802. I'm looking forward to the big celebration when I reach 1,000.

Did you get home dry yesterday? I didn't. An umbrella is only so helpful in windy conditions, and when I exited the PATH in Hoboken, it was a complete downpour with real thunder and lightning, oh my! I must admit, there is something nice about being inside my apartment in the rain. I always know when the rain starts because I can hear it tapping on my air conditioner.

I will be on somewhat of a vacation next week so stay tuned for lack of posts but lots of photos. My goal is to just go crazy taking photographs of everything natural because I have decided to enter this pretty big photography contest which I stumbled upon last night. Here's to hoping.

Ladies and Gentleman, I now bring you the shake weight!

You'll love the way you look and you'll feel confident and beautiful.

Over the next couple of years we will be seeing more and more 3D technology coming to our homes.

Ever wonder why we never forget to ride a bike? Well here's the answer.

With all the recent rain, who wants more. Well, this is pretty darn cool.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

It's hard not to do a Julia Child impersonation after seeing the new film, Julie and Julia based on a book which was based on a blog. In fact, I believe it's the first time a blog has been turned into a movie, and it's a very cool thing. Gosh, where do I begin. I guess it's most appropriate to tell you about the screening event in recipe format. So, here goes nothing.

Julie and Julia (Serving size: 2)

1. Cool down the theater to 67 degrees to make well dressed guests comfortable. 2. Add lime, peach and gin to a liquid nitrogen cooled glass. 3. Stir in trout with beets topped with a dab of coconut kick and lamb and shrimp. 4. Add beer and wine and mix with supplied whisk (yes, there is an "h" I was wrong)until well combined.5. While mixture is simmering, cleanse the palette with bitter dark chocolate (better save for baking). 6. Drain liquid from mixture and add more gin.7. Cook for over 2 hours

I enjoyed the movie. Meryl Streep is unbelievable as Julia Child capturing her voice and mannerisms wonderfully. The movie, clocking in at over two hours goes by very quickly and never drags thanks to Nora Ephron's screenplay. It's a feel good film that shows that when you put your mind to something, you can achieve your dreams. And both Julie and Julia did. And so it is with great excitement that I announce that I will be cooking through James Beard's American Cookery. Well, not really. But it sounds fun, doesn't it?

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

We've all seen the giant inflatable rats around the city but I had to take a photo of this one being inflated. I had to scoot by before the giant head pinned me to the side of the building. Some of you may not know about the Rat and it's significance. So, here's a little blurb so you get an idea:

Giant inflatable rats, are commonly used by protesting or striking trade unions against their employers or against nonunion contractors, serving as a sign of opposition and call public attention to companies employing nonunion labor. As of 2005[update], unions had been using them for years against companies that employed nonunion labor[1], and employers have filed lawsuits charging that the use of the giant inflatable rats constituted unlawful picketing, which some courts have agreed with. The practice of using inflatable rats in union protests may have something to do with the usage of the word "rat" to refer to nonunion contractors.

We've all had blankies and stuffed animals and pillows. But this, this is taking it a step too far.

Let me get this straight, fake cop tries to pull over real cop, real cop tells fake cop that he is a real cop, fake cop is arrested by real cop.

Leave it to the NY POST to get the real scoop on the Naked Cowboy, the next mayor of New York City. You can laugh, but the man makes $200-$300 a day, won a suit against M&Ms, and earns as much as $10,000 a day for appearances not to mention he sells T-shirts, underwear, DVDs, his music and even Naked Whey protein supplements.

Well, the dirtiest apartment contest has ended and the winners have been announced. Achoo.

Apparently, the Malibu Diner has been getting more business...next up: Cammarano Bus Tour..and on our right, this is morning hot spot where you usually can usually find him ordering an everything bagel with plain cream cheese and bribes.

Some people will do anything to get close to the Intrepid, including this man who took a "drunk" in the Hudson River.

Because it's Tuesday, I'll leave you with this synchronized swimming clip:

Monday, July 27, 2009

There are things about a gym that bother me to no end, my pet peeves. Let's begin with the people who do not wipe down the machines when they are done sweating all over them. There is a paper towel dispenser and spray bottle for a reason. If you are too lazy to wipe your sweat off of the machine for the next person then you should be forced to clean the sweaty mats off. There should be some sort of alarm that goes off when someone doesn't clean off a machine, like the "didn't wash hands" alarm in the bathrooms.

Okay, Number 2: The people who turn the fan off of the swing setting so that no one else can enjoy the cool breeze. Not only that, when they leave, they don't even bother turning the fan back to swing. Are you that exhausted that you can't go over and push a button after reading US WEEKLY on the elliptical? Do you think Angelina would do such a thing?

Number 3: The moaning, groaning and strutting. Sometimes I forget that I am in a gym and not on the farm. Sounds like the goats are groaning again. I can hear these sounds coming from the weight room below and you'd think someone was dying a horrible death. But no, it's the "who can grunt loudest, lift the heaviest" mentality that leads to these sounds of pain. Guys make fun of women for their obsession with mirrors, but at the gym I cannot tell you how many times guys check themselves out in the mirror. Looking for any sign of Mr. Pec or Mr. Tricep peeking up below the flesh.

Fizzy Milk? Leave it to Coca-Cola to come up with such a fizzy lifting drink.

Friday, July 24, 2009

The dancing wedding video that was on this blog yesterday made it to the Today Show this morning. It amazes me when something like this happens. The newlyweds posted this video on YouTube for family who couldn't make it to the wedding and then the video is viewed by millions and the couple is on the Today Show. Not only that, but the entire wedding party is going to be on tomorrow to perform the dance. Really? This is deserving of this much coverage? I had an interesting morning.

The news trucks were out again and the reporters were lined up waiting to grab a victim to be interviewed about the Hoboken mayor. I avoided the news web, got to work early and then heard a loud ringing. I recognized the bell, it usually means someone is stuck in the elevator, something that happens quite often. I walked by and could hear my boss in there so I began talking to her and calming her down. I peeked between the doors and could see her. There were a few moments of panic but 5 minutes later the elevator was up and running. Friday is already shaping up to be an interesting day.

I had the pleasure of meeting Zach Woods, who stars in the new film, out today, In The Loop. It is a very funny film and if you live in one of the select cities showing this flick, I recommend it. From the website:

IN THE LOOP is a smart comedy and Sundance Film Festival hit from the acclaimed team behind the award-winning BBC TV comedy series ALAN PARTRIDGE and THE THICK OF IT. The film is drawing instant comparisons to some of the great political and absurdist comedies such as DOCTOR STRANGELOVE, WAG THE DOG, THANK YOU FOR SMOKING and MONTY PYTHON.With razor-sharp, truly laugh-out-loud dialogue the film pokes fun at the absurdity and ineptitude of our highest leaders. With everyone looking out for number one, and the fate of the free world at stake (but apparently incidental), the hilarious ensemble cast of characters bumbles its way through Machiavellian political dealings, across continents, and toward comic resolutions that are unforeseeable.

Thanks to the NY Times, we now know some more about the kind of shark that washed up on Long Island.

I'd like to finish today's post with a big announcement! Here's the press release...

FUNNY BOYS, LATEST NOVEL BY WARREN ADLER OPTIONED FOR FILM

Funny Boys, the latest novel by War of the Roses author Warren Adler about the Borscht Belt and Murder Inc.(circa1937) has been optioned for a film. It is the 12th novel of Mr. Adler’s bought or optioned by Hollywood.

Mr. Adler, whose The War of the Roses novel was adapted as a movie with Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner and Random Hearts with Harrison Ford and Kristin Scott Thomas, has published 30 novels which have been translated into 25 foreign languages.

Funny Boys is the story of a comedian, or in the Yiddish idiom of the time, a “tumler,” in a Catskill mountain resort hotel in 1937 who gets entangled with the mobsters of Murder Inc.

The story authentically reenacts the speech and customs of the era. In the thirties, forties and fifties the area was known as the Borscht Belt and nourished the careers of some of the most famous comedians of the time such as Milton Berle, Red Button, Jerry Lewis, Sam Levinson, Myron Cohen, Sid Caesar and scores of others.

Murder Inc. was one of the most feared and ruthless gangs in New York, a combination of Jewish and Italian mobsters who wreaked havoc in New York before World War II. The novel recreates the atmosphere and environment of one of the most colorful eras in the twentieth century.

“Every time I option or sell a book to the movies I have high hopes for the picture to be made and be a smash hit. I feel certain that the material in Funny Boys, if handled correctly, has all the ingredients to make that happen.”

Another novel by Mr. Adler and James Hume, Target Churchill, which deals with an assassination attempt on the life of Winston Churchill has also been optioned by another production company. Mr. Adler wrote the screenplay.

Three of Mr. Adler’s short stories in the acclaimed collection entitled The Sunset Gang were adapted into a three-hour trilogy and shown on the PBS network. A musical of the stories written by Mr. Adler with composer L. Russell Brown was performed in Manhattan.

Cited as one of the 100 Best Authors on Twitter, Mr. Adler is also a pioneer in electronic publishing having digitized his books starting more than a decade ago. All of his novels are available on Kindle, the SONY Reader and all digital devices and through bookstores worldwide.

“I am always baffled when a book of mine is either optioned or bought outright by the movie people,” Mr. Adler said. “I don’t write with the movies in mind. One of my books Private Lies was purchased outright for 1.2 million and, after more millions were invested to develop it, it was never made. This was also the fate of Trans-Siberian Express, Madeline’s Miracles, novels from my Fiona FitzGerald mystery series, and others, some of which were optioned and bought numerous times.

“It is a flawed system, but somehow it manages to survive. Unfortunately, original material gets short shrift in the face of Hollywood’s penchant to base its future productions on past marketplace experience. ”

Mr. Adler is often outspoken about the adaptations of his novels. He considers The War of the Roses one of the most successful adaptations of a book to a movie and cites the fact that it has become a classic depiction of divorce. The term a “War of the Roses divorce” is now part of the world-wide nomenclature to describe the existential battles between separating spouses. Mr. Adler has never been divorced.

He was not as complimentary about the way Random Hearts was adapted and wrote a critique of the film in The New York Times.

Mr. Adler is also a playwright and short story writer. His latest collection of stories is New York Echoes and his plays are currently being produced in Europe. He is in the fifth year of his short story contest which has fostered talent among many writers through the contest’s popularity on the Internet.

The option to Lime Orchard Production, helmed by Jami Gertz and Stacey Lubliner was arranged through Hughes Entertainment.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

I start today with BREAKING NEWS...Hoboken Mayor Peter Cammarano has been arrested by the FBI as part of a wide-reaching investigation that is swooping up dozens of people, including other politicians and rabbis, according the WNBC-TV.

I'm wondering if the Naked Cowboy should rethink his campaign and run for Mayor of Hoboken?

I hope you are having an excellent week. I had the opportunity to watch most of Shrink, the new movie starring Kevin Spacey and Saffron Burroughs last night. Saffron Burroughs came to the screening and I was in charge of meeting her and making sure she got into the interview chair. She was a delight.

While walking to work this morning I was thinking a lot about some of my ideas for projects and what not. I have a feeling the next year is going to be an exciting and productive one. It's been at least a year since I've been to a wedding and when I came across this next video, I smiled. Now this is the way to introduce your wedding party down the aisle. Look at the faces of the family and friends attending.

IN THE NEWS>>>

Now that's a knife...Arnold says "You know, you sent a governor to Sacramento -- not El Stiffo, like some of the past were, but you sent someone that is a little bit more entertaining and has a little bit more fun with the whole thing."

In nude beach news, a second nude beach may be coming to South Florida. (Insert joke here).

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

It is entirely appropriate to start today's blog with one of my favorite childhood songs from Sesame Street. When I was a kid I'd put this record on and dance like a pigeon. Oh come on, try to listen to this song and not Coo.

So last night was the big Sir Paul McCartney Concert and it was incredible. Citi Field was packed with fans awaiting to hear their favorite songs, and when one of my favorites came on, there was a huge spectacle. That's right, Live and Let Die. Let's just say there were pyrotechnics and fireworks. I took a video of it which I will most likely post soon. The Script, is the band that opened for Paul and they were very good, but there was such a magical feeling when Paul took the stage and thousands upon thousands of screaming fans showed some love. It's hard to believe that for less than the price of dinner at some cheap Thai joint in the city, we had the opportunity to see this show and had great seats. I did my fair share of singing along, hooting and hollering and somehow managed to keep my voice this morning. I had read some reviews that complained there was too much "singing along" at these concerts but quite honestly, there is something so amazing when a musician can pass the refrain of a song off to an entire stadium.

At 67, Paul is able to rock out and give the audience a 2 hour and 40 minute concert, so the next time you are debating about whether or not you are too tired to go to the gym, think of Sir McCartney.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

It's crazy to think that in a few days, I will have posted 800 posts to this blog. And I plan on continuing in hopes that one day, Evan Almighty can be made into a movie...what's that? It HAS? Why didn't you tell me this 794 posts earlier when I named this blog? Here's a little known fact about my blog. I named it Evan Almighty because it was before the movie was released and I hoped that the name would drive traffic to my site. And it did. For awhile.

I am going to see Sir Paul McCartney in concert tonight and am looking forward to it. I even heard the rain was supposed to stop just in time. Should be a good time.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Some people will say that I'm a lucky person and luck was on my side once again on Saturday. I haven't been to see a Broadway show in quite some time and I had been wanting to see West Side Story. Most shows now have lottery rush ticket systems in place. You go 2.5 hours before showtime and enter your name along with a bunch of others. A half-hour later, names are drawn and those people get to see the show, sit in the front row, and pay way below face value. So there I was at 10:45, waiting in the lottery line to enter my name. Lauren was booking it up to try her luck at 9 to 5 for their lottery. It was time for the West Side Story lottery drawing. 18 front row tickets, 2 tickets each, that means 9 people would be chosen, unless of course there were singles. Two people chosen so far, not me. Bingo. My name was called. I flashed my ID and cash to the man in charge and was escorted inside and told to stand along the gold doors with the other winners. Five minutes later, I had scored two tickets to the matinee show and they were front row and they were $26.50. That's right, I want to live in America, for a small fee in America.

Two hours and a sandwich and dandelion soda later, Lauren and I were in the front row of the theater, high-fiving the conductor and prepping our petry dishes for any saliva that might be coming our way. The show was great, the choreography and music incredible, but there was one actor who ruined the show for me. The actor who was cast as Tony. I'm not going into the reasons why, but he definitely stands out as the weakest link in this production.

The show was over, the crowd went wild and we decided that at 6:00 we would try to win tickets to the 9 to 5 lottery drawing. Cut to 6:00, outside the Marriot Marquis Theater. I fill out my name and number and place it in the silver box. Lauren and Karen enter their names as well. Half an hour later, the crowd is gathered, waiting for their names to be called. Who will it be...

Lottery Man: And the next winner is...let's see here... Evan..N..hmmm...Ni..Me: (yelling out) Nisenson

As my hand goes up, I make my way to the winners line and then am once again brought in to purchase the tickets.

Two lottery winnings in one day? What was going on? Why me? Why today? It was definitely some of the most fun I have had in quite some time, and the first time I had seen two Broadway shows in one day. It reminded me of Sundance, so I'm naming this day Fundance. I'm corny. Get used to it.

After the show we saw an uberfan running like crazy to find the area by the stage door where the cast would emerge. We were hot on their trail and they lead us right to the pack of wolves.

British-born and -based artists Tim Noble and Sue Webster skilfully skirt the boundaries between beauty and the shadowier aspects of humanity, playing with our perceptions as well as our notions of taste. Many of their most notable pieces are made from piles of rubbish, with light projected against them to create a shadow image entirely different to that seen when looking directly at the deliberately disguised pile.

Be sure to check out the other photos. So interesting and bizarre. I love it.

I don't know if I quite buy this. Johnny Depp's dream role is to play Carol Channing. dchiamonds are Johnny's beeeest friieeend.

Who caught this video the WSJ did on Skinny Jeans? Here's a game, try and count to see how many times the word "skinny" is said in this video.

I know what you are thinking, today's post is so shallow compared to yesterday's. It's just links. I want some personal life stories. Issues. Emotion. Stay tuned...in the meantime, I hope this will make up for it.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

As many of you know, I share an office with Erin and it's a fairly intimate space. While we get along well (she may say otherwise) we have our occasional argument or bicker but we also have fun, like on the days when we speak to each other in accents (we spoke with french accents for Bastille Day). The reason I bring Erin up today is because she turned to me after reading my blog the other day and said, "Evan, I like it when you tell us the personal stuff about yourself". To which I replied, "Thanks, but really most of the stuff I want to say, I can't because people will read the blog and it might cause some problems". Erin's comment made me think about the things I would write if I didn't have to edit my content for this blog. Will I start another private blog just for these thoughts? No. How about a journal? Probably not. I wish I could just lay it all out there. But I can't. Not right now anyway. So if you want to know my feelings about so and so, or my take on life, love and the pursuit of happiness, you're going to have to come straight to the source.

Ready for something beyond cool? Light Paintings!Light paintings, also known as light drawing or light graffiti, is a photography technique in which exposures are usually made at night or in a darkened room. The images we are featuring here are from Jan Wöllert and Jörg Miedza, the guys behind LAPP-PRO. The light art performance photography (briefly LAPP) is a one-shot, long time bulb exposure photography, performed additionally with movement of light. LAPP originates on a real-time basis directly in front of the camera, created between opening and closing the shutter.

I get tons of fan mail on a daily basis. Every day at 3:00pm Harold the mailman shows up at our office with a sack full of letters. It's been a long time since I've responded to any, but today I am going to. Sooo, let's take a look at the first one. It comes from Anna Scottale from Las Vegas, Nevada. Anna writes:Dear Evan,I was very upset to read your thoughts on the newest Harry Potter movie. I am a huge fan of the books and the movie and had a chance to see a screening of it as well last week. I thought it was by far the best one yet. Just curious, did you have a favorite scene in the film?

Thanks Anna. I actually did have a favorite scene. Here, take a look:

The next question comes from Roberto Frappascio all the way in Rome, Italy! Roberto asks,

Ciao,I am coming to NYC and want to get restaurant review from you. What do you recommend?

Well, Roberto, great question. There are so many great restaurants, it's difficult to pick one. I will however suggest you avoid the Bull and Bear Steakhouse at the Waldorf Astoria.

Looks like we have time for one more question aaaand this one comes from Stephanie Robinsky in Seattle, Washington.

Evan Almighty!Big fan of yours writing in from Seattle, Washington. I followed Boaz Frankel's Un-Road Trip and was so excited to see that you joined up with him. Did you learn anything new about alternative fuel options?

Stephanie, that's an excellent question. So glad you asked. Well as you can imagine, being on the road for hours at a time it's not always easy to find a restroom. So on occasion I would have to run into the bushes but there's a point to this. I learned that an all-in-one machine has been developed which takes urine, extracts hydrogen from it, safely stores precious-yet-dangerous gas and later extracts it to generate energy. So Stephanie, pretty soon you won't have to worry about bringing empty bottles for the boys during those long car rides.

Well, that's about all the time we have today to answer letters. Keep them coming though.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Move over Montauk Monster, there's a new kid in town. Between this and the body that washed up on the Coney Island beach, I might think twice about going into the water this summer.

I don't know why I hadn't heard of Ron Chevalier before I watched Choke, the film adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk's novel. After the previews there was a short teaser with Ron Gevalier, played by none other than Jermaine Clement! You know what a huge Flight of the Conchords fan I am, so you can only imagine how excited I was to learn about this Ron Chevalier character. And who exactly is behind this? Jared Hess of course. He's brought us Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre. And now, I introduce you to Dr. Ronald Chevalier.

A NJ man thought it would be a good idea to steal, whaaa? Lobster tails? Sir, are there 91 lobster tails in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

Chef Mario Batali will voice the role of 'Rabbit' in Anderson's upcoming animated film Fantastic Mr. Fox, an adaptation of the Roald Dahl book. This is appropriate because Mario's favorite dish: Rabbit Stew. Being that I am a Roald Dahl and Anderson fan, I am interested to see this trailer which is due out in a couple of weeks.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Last night I attended a screening of the newest Harry Potter installment, Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince. Rather than give a review, I'd just like to mention a few things about this film and the series in general. First of all, this film like many of the others clocks in at two and a half hours and feels long. There are some really drawn out moments where you are staring at a shot for much longer than you should be. They were successful at making The Half Blood Prince darker than the others but you can tell that they pull back so as to not let the film get too scary for the kiddies. There's a enough lovey dovey romance and cutesy tootsie ogling and such to make you sick and it's really overplayed in this film, but the audience eats that stuff up. Alright, we get it, Lavender Brown has a thing for Ron. Let's move on please.

I like going into a movie and being surprised. Being taken to new worlds, meeting new and interesting characters but these movies spoon feed me the same thing every time. They are fun to watch and the special effects are pretty good, but I'm never satisfied. My grandmother used to have a saying that I disliked and disagreed with, "You've seen one tree, you've seen them all" and I realize that perhaps she wasn't referring to a tree at all, she was referring to the Harry Potter series.

Video has now surfaced of the Superman arrest in Times Square:

At the end, we get a glimpse of the guy taking the video and our translators here at Evan Almighty have translated what he is saying, "I am Batman".

I love stuff like this next product, Rocket Shower. Don't have time to shower after the gym at lunch? Not a problem, just spray.

It has been announced that Natalie Portman has been cast in Marvel's Thor movie. She will play the character of Jane Foster.

Monday, July 13, 2009

I hope you had a wonderful weekend! I'd like to start the service this morning with an event that happened on the train this morning. Just as one side of the doors started to close, a man and woman came rushing in. He jumped through but his girlfriend got stuck in the closing doors, he tried to push the doors open but he couldn't. Her body was stuck so she pulled herself out and then her foot was stuck. Everyone waited for the door to open so that she could free herself from the door's grip, but it wasn't opening. A big guy jumped up and tried to help but the door just wasn't budging. Then, panic. The bell sounded which meant the door on the other side was about to close. The boyfriend lunged toward the door hoping to get out to signal the conductor but that door closed on his foot. His girlfriend freed herself and he struggled and then pulled his foot out. The train departed separating the two, he on the train with his Golf Magazine and she, probably angry and upset about the entire incident. He turned to the woman next to me and said, "I have a feeling we'll be having a conversation later" meaning, he was in trouble. But I was ready. I was ready to jump out of my seat and pull any emergency lever or pulley I could find. It would have delayed the commute, but a woman's life was in danger. All the AM papers would hail me a hero. People would give up their seats to me, let me hold their babies, invite me over for dinner and to watch a movie. "Hoboken Hero" the papers would read. Who am I kidding? Gentleman, let this be a lesson to you. Always let your girlfriend or boyfriend onto the train first, especially if you know the door is about to close. That's rule #1.

So yesterday, in addition to a great photo shoot, I went to check out the Moon Dance on the Hudson. That's right, grab your partner and head over to Pier 54 where you get a dance lesson (last night was Swing) and then you can dance the night away to a live band. A lot of fun and some really great people watching. I stepped on about 5 people's feet because in addition to the crowded dance floor, people just stand around the border and watch. Once we left the floor up by the band and danced through the crowd of dancers, we saw that the chairs that were set up were filled with spectators. I had a great time and am now considering taking dancing lessons. That's right, I said it. Rock, step, one..two..three. Rock, step, one...two..three..kick,kick,kick,kick, Rock, step lift your arm and twirl. And while we're on the topic of moon dancing:

LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. - The pants were down but so was the size of the crowd for a bizarre ritual in Southern California.

It's the annual "Moon Over Amtrak" event in the Orange County community of Laguna Niguel in which people line up to moon passing commuter trains.

It began as a bar bet in 1979 and has continued ever since.

Sheriff's Lt. Ted Boyne says as many as 400 people showed up for Saturday's mass mooning. Last year, about 8,000 showed up, mostly out-of-towners. And deputies shut it down after things got ugly, with traffic jams, drinking and public nudity.

This year's crowd in contrast is described as mellow. A couple of cars got towed, but deputies say nobody got drunk and there were no arrests.

Nothing thrills me more than watching The Food Network when I'm at the gym. People will say, "Evan, how can you watch food when you are trying to work out", but I love it. I usually will get an idea for something I can make for dinner such as the Lobster Pot Pie and Chocolate Gelato that Ina Garten made her her husband since she would be going away and he is apparently incapable of making himself something. I mean, come on. My favorite line came when she was making the puff pastry for the pot pie, she was adding some chunks of lard and said it really quickly, "I'mjustgoingtoaddsomelardnow, don't ask". All of this is a lead-in to a site Lauren shared with me. For you Food Network fans out there, you're going to love this dish.

Stop motion amazes me and reminds me of a stop motion short that I made when I was 18 with shoes. If I can find it I might upload it so I can share it with all of you. Adam was recently raving about The Highline and I have not been there yet but am looking forward to checking it out. They even have their own site.

The High Line was built in the 1930s, as part of a massive public-private infrastructure project called the West Side Improvement. It lifted freight traffic 30 feet in the air, removing dangerous trains from the streets of Manhattan's largest industrial district. No trains have run on the High Line since 1980. Friends of the High Line, a community-based non-profit group, formed in 1999 when the historic structure was under threat of demolition. Friends of the High Line works in partnership with the City of New York to preserve and maintain the structure as an elevated public park.

Perhaps it's because I haven't been riding the subway as much lately or I just don't pay attention to the automated announcements, or maybe it was because my subway car was packed, but I heard one of the sexual harassment messages for the first time. People are crammed in a car, elbows and parts in my face and they are telling us that subway cars can get crowded and that we should report any unnecessary touching. Upon hearing the announcement I drew my shoulder bag close to my body so that it wouldn't rub against anyone's thigh.

Who likes Nerd Cakes? Well here are 10 for you. I particularly like the Lost cake.

This photo has been all over the Internet and is an example of how you can "frame" someone. Pun intended.

Okay, this just made me laugh. Superman and Batman get in a fight with NYPD. The image of kids watching Batman and Superman get handcuffed is one thing but to have this quote:"He freaked out and punched the girl cop in the face," Batman said later.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

I'm thrilled to post a recent review Warren Adler, author of over 30 novels including War of the Roses and Random Hearts, both which were made into successful movies, has written for the new film, The Hurt Locker. Enjoy.

The Hurt Locker, a film about a bomb squad in Iraq is a most amazing film, and one of the few films of recent vintage which actually tells the truth about what it means to be a professional soldier. Indeed, it is so different from the usual politically charged tripe about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that one wonders how the director Kathryn Bigelow ever got it made.

Indeed, ever since Vietnam, American servicemen, especially those in enlisted status have been characterized by the mediaocrity as using the services as a kind of last resort, a collection of losers at the bottom of the social barrel who join the Army to suck up benefits they could not get as civilians. Hollywood, which gets its cue from the same source, has often failed to understand the motivation of the professional soldier.

At the screening I attended, Kathryn Bigelow was on hand to answer questions posed by the audience. It was a theater in the west side of Manhattan, a place that is normally characterized as ground zero of the liberal intellectual elite, where ferment, contention and argument are in the oxygen.

By itself the movie is mesmerizing and the puzzle of the bomb defuser’s motivation is posed by a quote at the beginning that indicates that war was as addictive as drugs. The soldier defuser, despite the danger and risk, clearly loves his work. Played by a superb actor, he brings to his role absolute fidelity and while those who asked questions admired the movie, they seemed unable to understand the man’s motivation, which was far from what passed for the prevailing opinion in this area.

I wished I had gotten up and asked a question largely because I wanted instead to make an assertion based on my own experience as a soldier. I was more of an observer, a reluctant conscript, but I did observe the professional soldier in action. Like any true professional, a dancer, a writer, a mechanic, an athlete and on and on, the consummate professional is indeed addicted to his work. In the case of the hero of this movie, yes he is addicted to his job, not war, but the job itself.

This man is proud of his expertise. Despite the horrendous risk and danger, he loves the defusing process, the challenge of the wiring, the instinctive discovery of how the bomb was constructed and placed for maximum impact. He must get into the mind and motivation of the bomber to fulfill the objective of his job.

The bottom line of his effort is to prevent the bomb from killing people. Thus, the movie at its heart is about saving lives. By the tenor of the questions asked of Ms. Bigelow, the audience seemed reluctant to admit that it was possible for a soldier to love his work and to be proud of his expertise.

Indeed, the movie makes clear that the soldier feels never more alive than when he is doing his job on the battlefield. In recent years, however one feels about the origins and conduct of the various wars in which America has been engaged, somehow the military man has suffered the brunt of the negative criticism. This movie turns that concept on its head.

Looking back on my years in the Army, I have come to deeply respect the professional soldier. I saw many of them in action, doing their job with professional pride, just as in any occupation and calling. These are not people at the bottom, not, as some have portrayed them, life’s losers. No way. We are lucky to have them.

Kathryn Bigelow and her team are to be congratulated for their courage and persistence in getting this independent film made.

One of the things I enjoy most is meeting young talent, people my age who are writing, directing and producing films in what is probably one of the most difficult times to find backing for projects. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to talk with Austin Stark one of the founders of Paper Street Films and one of the producers of the new horror/thriller flick, Homecoming starring Mischa Barton, Matt Long and Jessica Stroup.

Mike was the star quarterback in a blue-collar small town where football is everything. After receiving a scholarship to Northwestern University, he returns home over Christmas break and everyone is surprised to see him with a new girlfriend, Elizabeth, a pretty rich girl from Chicago. No one is more shocked than Mike's homecoming queen ex-girlfriend, Shelby, who desperately wants Elizabeth out of the picture. After a freak car accident leaves an injured Elizabeth at the mercy of Shelby, all hell breaks loose as Shelby does everything it takes to get Mike back.

The film will have a limited release so if you are in one of the following cities be sure to check this film out. July 17, 2009

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Believe it or not I usually do not commute to or from work listening to my iPod...until recently. I grew tired of the coughs, weezes, banter that I would hear at different points of my journey. I now put music on as I leave my apartment and it's like I have a soundtrack, a commuting soundtrack. When I walk down fifth avenue and through Washington Park, I visualize camera shots that go along with whatever song I'm listening to at the moment. The arch, fountain, statues all whirl around and are sudden stars in this nonexistent picture. Directing life is much easier when there's music involved. I realize I might just be muttering nonsense but hopefully some of you can catch my drift.

I have been seeing a lot of Paul Giamatti lately. In one of my posts a long long long time ago, I talked about street friends. These are people that you pass on your route to work or school and you start to recognize them but you never learn their names or even talk to them. Street friends. I'd like to now consider Paul as one of my street friends, although next time I am stopping to ask him about his upcoming film, Cold Souls.

I'm not a coffee drinker but perhaps I should be...one minute it's good for you, the next minute it's not, then only organic, and on and on.

What: Cardboard Tube Fighting League Tournament New York City Where: McCarren Park (Where exactly in the park is TBD, stay tuned!!!) When: Sunday, July 12th, 2009 12:30-2pm Entry Fee: Free, tubes provided. What to bring: Water, cardboard armor, costumes are highly encouraged. Prizes awarded for best cardboard costume and tournament winners. Tubes will be supplied. What to expect: Welts and possibly bruises. It is highly recommended that only children above the age of 5 participate.

Last night I had the pleasure of going to the Elysian Cafe which, if you are ever in Hoboken, I definitely recommend. They have a great outdoor seating area, it's on a fairly quiet block and the atmosphere is perfect. The Elysian Café is the oldest continually operated bar/restaurant in Hoboken. Opened originally as Dillenger & Jeffson’s in 1895, it continued through prohibition as an ice cream parlor and as a hair salon. It has a great history and the food is good but make sure you are in good company because that is really what matters most.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

I dislike pests as much as anyone else so you can imagine how thrilled I was to see a roach scuttle across my rug in my living room. I had the window open so I assume he crawled in from outside. I still don't have enough lamp light in my living room so it was hard to see where the bugger was. I knew he was somewhere between the couch and the wall but before I did anything I wanted to grab my camera just to film the incident. Before I knew it, La Cucaracha de Hoboken was born. I hope you enjoy it.

Monday, July 6, 2009

I hope everyone had a happy and safe 4th of July, celebrating America's 233rd birthday. America, it was extremely difficult to put 233 candles on the cake so I'm sorry. I've mentioned before that this holiday is meaningful to me on many levels and I'll admit that I really enjoy a good fireworks show. I spent the 4th with great friends and couldn't help but to snap many photos throughout the day. When the sky decided to dim its lights, we headed over to the cliff for a view of the Hudson River. We weren't the only ones with this idea and we waited for the show to begin. Unfortunately, the display was further down the Hudson and there was a tree in the way. That was a letdown, but we enjoyed ourselves nonetheless. here are some thoughts that came across my mind this weekend...

1) I really enjoy cooking and preparing food but dicing peppers takes me awhile to do.2) I love cherries and watermelon and kids.3) Pizza on the grill can be just as good as pizza from the oven.4) When you are the photographer, you can guarantee few pictures of yourself if any.5) Don't let your dogs eat acorns.6) I miss having sparklers.7) I forgot to wear red or white and just went all blue.8) I feel very lucky.9) Is this paprika?10) Does spraying the fruits and vegetables with vinegar really remove pesticide?

On Friday night, I finally got around to seeing Woody Allen's most recent film, Whatever Works starring Larry David, Evan Rachel Wood, Patricia Clarkson, and many other talented actors. Despite the horrible reviews this movie received I really enjoyed it. It's classic Woody Allen. Smart, fast paced, funny and neurotic. This man can write like none other. I'd love to get my hands on a copy of this script.

The other movie I watched this weekend was Dan In Real Life, a movie that somehow I missed but was recently suggested to me, and I thought it was very good. Steve Carell was excellent and the plot line was interesting and very simple. Family and finding love are at the center of this film and there are many wonderful family scenes. My personal favorite is the family "talent show" where Steve Carell's character, Dan and his brother knock out a rendition of "Let My Love Open The Door". The film was shot in Rhode Island and I recognized some of the locations in Providence. If you have Netflix, be sure to check out Dan In Real Life, you can play it right now through Netflix's on demand feature. The soundtrack for this film is really great as well.